Running: Local athletes win in endurance event in Cambridge

BILL BLEWETT, Aegis correspondent

Local athletes captured three division wins in the ChesapeakeMan Endurance Festival in Cambridge Saturday.

William Moore of Fallston prevailed in the Clydesdale Division of the Ironman-length ultra race - a 2.4-mile swim in the Choptank River, a 112-mile bike in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and 26.2-mile run. He finished in 12 hours, 6 minutes to win by a margin of 11 minutes.

Fastest among Harford triathletes over the 140.6-mile course was Michael Lafiandra of Bel Air, who placed fifth in 40-44 and 33rd overall in 11:17:13. Robert Hess of Bel Air finished one place behind him, completing his first triathlon of that length in 11:17:51. Bart Howe of Havre de Grace finished in 13:26:44 and Brian Hairfield of Abingdon, 14:39:04.

There were 515 finishers among the four individual races of the festival. Paul Zeller of White Hall and Kat Brady of Delta, Pa., were winners in the Skipjack race - a 1.2-mile swim, 64-mile bike and 10-mile run. Brady finished in 5:40:44 to lead the women's 35-39 age group, and Zeller, in 6:26:30 to lead the men's 60-64.

Joseph Heid of Churchville reached the Skipjack finish in 5:11:50 to place second in 35-39 and 10th overall. Also in the Skipjack were Chris Sewell of Forest Hill, 5:56:52 and Wendy McPherson, 6:26:19 for fourth place in 35-39.

Mike Kemen of Bel Air was the runner-up in the Clydesdale Division of the Aquabike race, a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike. He averaged 20.2-mph on the bike to finish in 7:14:49.

Pam Moore of Bel Air competed in the Bugeye race, which involved a 1.2-mile swim, 25-mile bike, and 6.2-mile run. She finished in 4:57:15.

Collegiate Cross-Country

Tyler Muse led the Harford Community College cross-country team in the Dickinson Long-Short Invitational Sept. 29 in Carlisle, Pa. Muse was the top junior college finisher with an 8K time of 27:15. He placed 25th among 233.

Elizabeth Tauber of Bel Air led the Towson women with a 26th place finish in the Paul Short Invitational Brown Division at Lehigh University Sept. 28. The John Carroll grad clocked 22:46 over a 6K course. Also for Towson, Hannah McKenzie of Bel Air ran 23:50.

North Harford grad Megan Schott finished 20th in the George Mason Invitational In Leesburg, Va., Sept. 29. The Mount St. Mary's sophomore ran 23:47 on a 6K course and was the third finisher for her team.

The Bower sisters from Bel Air (C. Milton Wright) ran in the same meet but in different races Sept. 29 in the Dickinson Long-Short Invitational. Running in her first collegiate race for York College, Stephanie Bower ran 19:01 on the 4K short course. Jennifer Bower, a Frostburg State junior, ran 28:07 on the 6K long course.

The York men's team placed second among 14 teams at the Dickinson meet with Matt Smith (CMW) running fourth for York in the 8K race in 28:00.

In other races

Mike Feinberg of Bel Air placed fourth among 318 masters runners in the 45-49 age group in the City of Pittsburgh Great Race 10K Sunday. He clocked 37:48 and was 117th among 8,173 finishers.

Jennifer Perkovich of Joppa ran a 23:27 and finished third among women in the Notre Dame Prep Blazer Dash 5K in Baltimore. Second-place age-group finishes went to Jason Drury of Abingdon in 30-39 in 23:36; Michael Mince of Street in over-50 in 24:30; and Jill Melchionni of Fallston in 30-39 in 24:50.

Erika Butler of Bel Air was the runner-up in the 40-49 age group in the Marian House 5K in Baltimore Saturday. She ran 25:01 and placed 13th among 300 women.

Offie Clark of Aberdeen was one of the 2,660 finishers in the Montreal International Marathon Sept. 23. He ran 5:26:08.

Barbara Stachowiak of Kingsville finished second in the women's race of the Catonsville Rotary Fall into Fitness 5K. She ran 24:18 and finished 15th overall in a field of 137.

Three-hundred ninety young runners competed in the first meet of the Bill Brown Youth Cross Country Series in Bel Air Sunday on the John Carroll campus. Age-group winners were Tim Engbert and Sophia Kudla in age 12-13; Alex Stevenson and Megan Drumm in 10-11; Justin Motsay and Dani Todd, 8-9; Nicholas Gladis and Kiersten Chemelli, 6-7; and Brandon Tolson and Milana Boesch, under 6. The second meet of the series is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Tollgate Park in Bel Air.